New Lawyers in Schools partners for 2012/13 Monday, 15th October 2012

The 2012/13 academic year has barely kicked off and we have had the great pleasure of welcoming five new partnerships to the Lawyers in Schools programme. US firm Hunton & Williams have joined from their London office and will be working with Oaklands School in Tower Hamlets. The in-house legal team at British Gas have been partnered with the Matthew Arnold School in Staines. Credit Suisse will be delivering the programme to Deptford Green School in in Lewisham.

A couple of our London partners are also extending their participation to other offices. National Grid’s Warwick office has joined the scheme and has been partnered with Myton School. EE have joined forces with DAC Beachcroft in Bristol to work with Henbury School.

It is an exciting year ahead and the Lawyers in Schools team are delighted to welcome these new partners.

If you are interested in getting involved in the Lawyers in Schools programme, please contact Amy Slasberg – Project Manager amy.slasberg@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk

Lawyers in Schools Evaluation Report 2011/12 Tuesday, 18th September 2012

With the 13^th cycle of Lawyers in Schools at an end and the new one about to begin, the team are pleased to present the 2011/12 evaluation report. Highlighting the range of impacts that the programme makes on all participants, the report also details the programme’s development since its establishment in 1999.

The report shows that the programme is meeting its main aim; to raise young people’s awareness of the law, but is also going beyond that and benefitting students in more ways. The volunteers and their employers are also reaping rewards.

Thirty three per cent of students reported that they would feel more confident managing a potential legal problem. Coupled with this is the clear adjustment in their perception of the legal profession. Focus groups with students both before the start and at the end of the programme showed a shift from, for example, ‘[the lawyers] are all men with gelled hair…uptight and not very sociable,’ to ‘I never knew they’d be so cool. They were kind and made us learn a lot.’

Volunteers reported on the impact that the programme has had on their own perception of their profession and employer. Forty five per cent said that participating in Lawyers in Schools had increased their pride in their company and their job. One volunteer from Barclays said:

‘I enjoyed volunteering for Lawyers in Schools an awful lot and it made me happy to do it. It made me feel better about my job.’

Please follow this link to read the evaluation report in full http://www.lawyersinschools.org.uk/uploads/files/LiSReport1_2012_vPRINT_WEB.pdf

Visit us again to keep in touch with news and developments throughout the academic year.

If you want to find out more about Lawyers in Schools, please contact Amy Slasberg – Project Manager amy.slasberg@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk

Lawyers in Schools alive and kicking in Australia Friday, 13th April 2012

2011/12 has proved to be a successful year for Lawyers in Schools in Australia. King & Wood Mallesons - who have now been championing the programme down under since 2010 – have completed another cycle with Canterbury Boys High School and Casula High School in Sydney and have shared the impacts that their 23 participating lawyers have made.

The firm has reported that nearly all of the participating students learned something new about the law and found each session interesting. Sarah Smith, Principal at Casula High School reported that ‘the Lawyers in Schools programme has been an excellent opportunity for our students,’ while a student remarked that it was, ‘straight forward, easy to understand and very fun.’

2012/13 will see King & Wood Mallesons continuing with Lawyers in Schools in New South Wales and potentially expanding into The Garden State of Victoria. As they are also exploring the possibility of partnering up with a client, it could prove to be yet another exciting and advantageous year for the programme in Australia.

Mallesons shining the light on Lawyers in Schools in Australia Tuesday, 10th January 2012

In 2010 international law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques piloted Lawyers in Schools in Sydney, Australia. The London office had been running the programme with Sir John Cass Foundation and Red Coat Church of England School in Tower Hamlets since 2007 and made fantastic impacts, which encouraged the Sydney office to get involved. Following the successful pilot the Sydney office have continued to run Lawyers in Schools delivering sessions to two schools: Casula High School and Canterbury Boys High School.

We are delighted to see our first international Lawyers in Schools venture featured in the firm’s annual community report.

Hugh Aitkin, Solicitor and volunteer coordinator in Sydney said:

‘It is a unique opportunity for lawyers to use their legal expertise to engage with young people and arm them with an awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities.’

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to the London office in 2011 after four years of exceptional commitment but it is great to see Mallesons continuing to fly the flag for Lawyers in Schools in Australia.

Please follow this link to read the Mallesons Stephen Jaques community report in full http://www.mallesons.com/community/Documents/MICReport2011.pdf  

For more information please contact Fiona Whittenbury@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk

Verizon join Lawyers in Schools Monday, 9th January 2012

We are delighted to welcome the in-house lawyers of the telecommunications giant Verizon to Lawyers in Schools. A team of 10 or so lawyers from the Reading based company will be working with Reading Girls' School on the programme.

We really look forward to working with Verizon for the forseeable future.